


lord Martiya's Lilanette Week 2018

by lordMartiya



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, Lilanette Week, Lilanette Week 2018, lilanette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-03 21:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14004669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordMartiya/pseuds/lordMartiya
Summary: Here I am, lord Martiya writing for the 2018 Lilanette Week. Hope it won’t be too bad. Especially because, as an Italian myself, I’d like to describe well one of my countrywomen…





	1. Day 1: Springtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila and Marinette musing on spring.

“Happy first day of spring!” Marinette said as she surprised her girlfriend.

“No.” Lila bluntly replied. “Well, it’s not like I don’t mind, but the _clima_ _ **t**_ -”

“ _Climat_.” Marinette gently corrected, a bit amused by the mistake in pronunciation-as the Italian and the French words for climate were actually pronounced the same way, if written differently.

“The _climat_ is too cold. And wet. Should have time to go back to Italy a few days soon, maybe you can come and experience the real spring.”

“Uh… I can’t-Well, I-” That was a problem. As much as she’d like to go to Rome, Marinette couldn’t exactly leave Paris while Papillon (or the Terror Bowtie, as Lila had taken to call him. Marinette had almost choked herself from laughter the first time she heard it) was still a threat, nor she could tell Lila why-not until she was sure her girlfriend was over that grudge.

“Calm down. It’s that thing again, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Good thing Lila respected secrets-and had quickly understood her parents weren’t obsessively overprotective and controlling as Adrien’s father.

“I suppose you’ll tell me when you’re ready. Besides… I suppose you can make even the Parisian spring hot enough.”

* * *

 

“LILA!”

“I take our lovebirds are having fun.” Alya commented as she heard Marinette’s embarrassed shout in the distance.


	2. Day 2: Prom!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila takes advantage of a certain someone being unable to say no to their father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: I’m taking full advantage of being Italian as Lila-and knowing a bit of Romanesco. Not much, I’m from the north, just enough for the task. And yes, I imagine Lila is from Rome.

“Thanks for the dress.” I say to Marinette. Now play it cool, play it modest… “I hope I’ll be able to make it justice at the prom.” Nailed it!

“I’m sure you’ll rock it.” she replies. “You’re so beautiful…”

Not as much as you. Especially inside. You’ve got twice the invitations, and that’s the ones I know of. If only I could… Well, let’s ask the big thing and resign to the expected: “Maybe. But speaking of beauty, what about Captain Obvious?”

Wait, Mari, why are you crestfallen? Please don’t tell me he hasn’t invited you yet! He’s not that stupid! Unless his father-

“His father is having him go with Chloe.”

 _MANNAGGIA LI MORTACCI SUI!_ Why is Gabriel Agreste so micro-managing?! And that _coatto_ Adrien even listens to him!  Now that the _fregnona_ got her hands on him we’d need a lawyer to get him back in time… And at this point, I’m fully convinced it would be a waste.

“Lila, calm down!” she says.

“I am calm.” I say. I _lie_. And I just got the plan to take advantage of this: “You know what? You’re going to be my date. We’ll be so magnificent that the _fregnona_ will regret not being able to wear her sunglasses at the prom, and the little guy will regret not having invited you before his father did his thing.” Especially because I plan for him to not have another chance. “What do you say?”

And I melt inside as she says yes.


	3. Day 3: Swapped Miraculous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila, the Fox Miraculous holder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I already said, I am Italian… And here I once again take advantage of it to explain Lila’s reaction to Ladybug’s apology.

Lila was in a horrible mood. Not only, as it always happened whenever she changed countries and school, her many acquaintanceships from her parents’ job parties had been quickly blown out of proportions as full-fledged friendships, in a moment of _utter stupidity_ from sheer irritation she had given an interview where she declared to be friends with Ladybug, the local superheroine-and pride of the local Italian community, her body language and hamminess gave her away to someone who knew what to look for-and that had spiraled out in said short-tempered superheroine coming out of the sky and angrily calling her out while she was trying to make friends with the one guy in the school she knew wouldn’t care of her “friendships”, getting her head violated by the local supervillain, and, finally, Ladybug apologizing in the one way that would be horribly insulting. She could take it from a Frenchwoman, but to Italians if you humiliate someone in front of witnesses and want to apologize you apologize _in front of the same witnesses_ , and Chat Noir wasn’t Adrien Agreste.

Only good thing was that Ladybug had decided to preserve the reputation of the Ladyblog, and that had meant declaring to them the reason she had been so angry with Lila was worry she’d be targeted. Quite good for someone who hated liars…

Then, as she passed near a side alley she saw four thugs about her age surrounding an old man with a horrible shirt. And as a flower print shirt, no matter how horrible, was no good reason to torment anyone…

“Ladybug, I know it was a bad day, but go easy on them!” she called out. And of course, the thugs scattered and run in fear. Pity, they didn’t look too strong. “Are you well, sir?”

The older man insisted she didn’t need to help him, but she managed to convince him to let her. After going at his home with him she finally threw herself on her bed-and from her pocket fell a strange little box she was sure had not been there at any time, one that contained a necklace identical to the one she had bought earlier that day. And then her life changed.

* * *

 

 

Ladybug and Chat Noir had finally cornered the Collector, and as she was trying to come up with a way to take that book from him they heard a short flute tune-and then, out of nowhere, landed a _creature_. A being she could best describe as a Klingon covered in feathers and with a duck bill, and holding a long _dizi_ flute in a hand. She knew what it meant, she just hoped the Collector wouldn’t, and would back down in fear or by being weirded out.

“Fox Miraculous?! Where?!” he shouted instead, starting to look around for where the new holder was hiding-and that was when the creature grabbed the book.

“Take a guess.” the creature said with a strangely familiar voice before ripping the book.

Just like that, the Collector was gone, and Gabriel Agreste was back, worried about his son and telling of how a certain book had been a memory of his wife. And the Fox holder, still clad in the illusion, spoke.

“I suppose I’ll have to give it back, then.” she said, making Ladybug and Chat grow suspicious, but they quickly schooled their expressions to hear what she had to say. “I’ve been in Paris for the last few weeks, investigating Papillon while Ladybug and Chat Noir dealt with the akumas, holding back to not put the investigation at risk-even if I had been about to intervene with my imitator. Anyway, I had grown suspicious of you and-well, ever heard of the Pied Piper of Hamelin? I know a music that does the same, even if not on Miraculous holders, and had your son explore your home for hints. Like the book, that he dutifully brought me before the spell made him forget why exactly he had it and where he had left it. But as Papillon cannot be akumatized, even if the timing’s pretty suspicious, I suppose you’re out. The book contains information on the Miraculouses, so I’ll have to make copies of everything, but I can give it back.”

It was a lie, of course. Ladybug knew exactly who had taken the book from Adrien and who actually had it, but as it was getting Adrien out of trouble she didn’t confront the Fox hero, not yet. But once he was away, and after repairing the damage, she and Chat went to the Fox Hero, who had finally abandoned the illusion. And as they had come to expect, she looked very similar to Volpina, with a few differences. The costume had an actual fluffy fox tail and not a flowing belt similar to it, it was a two piece, had some form of padding over the hands, and, much to Ladybug’s irritation, had pockets (she really had to talk to Tikki about those). And, apparently thinking she was being funny, had been waiting for them playing Gordon Jacob’s _Pied Piper_.

“Hello, Ladybug and Chat Noir, I am Vorpika.” she presented herself, all but giving away her identity to Ladybug-Italian for “fox” was “volpe” and that “vorpe” was likely a dialectal form, and, as she had learned from the comics her grandmother used to bring her, in Italian comic book naming conventions names ending in “-ik”, or sometimes “-ika” for female characters, were reserved for villains and dangerous anti-heroes. Then she continued: “Or, as I’m sure you already guessed, Lila Rossi.”

“Mind explaining what happened?” Chat asked, as wary as Ladybug herself.

“Well, after our discussion at the Eiffel Tower I went home, and found the Miraculous in my pocket, maybe _you_ can explain that.” Or Master Fu could do it, Ladybug really wanted an explanation. “As for the rest… Adrien brought the book out himself, I took it to give him a scare, because, really, you don’t bring such an old and high quality book out of whatever it was kept. I had set up everything, even hidden it in the thrash for more epic effect, when someone came out of the sky and terrified me into akumatization-and even picked it up the one moment I was distracted, apparently, I checked as Volpina. And when this situation took an unexpected twist, I decided to take responsibility in a way that wouldn’t give poor, naive Adrien more punishment. That and keep the information from the book, after the event it dawned on me it was on the Miraculouses and written in code. And no, I cannot hypnotize people with music. Not yet, at least, I suppose I could try and see if it’s possible.”

Ladybug decided she _really_ needed to have words with Master Fu. Still, Lila, no, Vorpika, was now a fellow hero, and she could try and mend the bridges again. And she tried that just that, only to find herself pushed away with the flute.

“Make no mistake, Ladybug, I have not forgotten the insult, and I’m not going to forgive.” she said. “For now I’ll follow your lead, but once the Terror Bowtie is dealt with we’ll settle the score.”

For a moment, Ladybug was surprised by Vorpika’s nickname for Papillon-then she remembered how the bowtie was known in Italy, and couldn’t help but laugh. And apparently failed a test, given the sad look she was given by Vorpika before she left.

* * *

 

 

“She needed it, and isn’t going to abuse it.” Master Fu explained when Marinette asked him about Lila Rossi, of all people, having a Miraculous.

“What?”

“Right after her akumatization she helped me with four young delinquents, and not by attacking them as she seemed inclined to but by using cunning, and then she insisted to help me home. And she didn’t really like it, it was just that her sense of duty was too strong. A sense of duty I don’t want risk being twisted by her anger at you, and Trixx could really help her. Maybe you could help her too?”

* * *

 

 

In the weeks since Vorpika’s combat debut, Lila had, much to her own surprise, found rather hard keep up the grudge against Ladybug’s insistence they bond. She had also started actually bonding with the other students, especially the class representative Marinette Dupain-Cheng, that for some reason reminded her of Ladybug not just in the hairstyle. And she had gotten in a feud with Chloe Borgeois over the mayor’s daughter being even worse, much worse, than she had thought at first and having it in for Marinette. She started to understand just why Ladybug had such a short temper, dealing with the Akuma factory, even as a fangirl, must have been stressing, something she outright stated to Marinette while they were alone.

“You don’t know the half of it.” Marinette replied. “She’s been persecuting me for years, and I have no idea why.”

“And as you are not Italians, it can’t even be that you accidentally insulted her.” Lila replied. “You have no idea how complicated it can be back home, you can insult someone even by apologizing the wrong way.”

“THAT WAS IT?!”

Lila had no idea where that outburst or the shocked face came from. Then she noticed the stunned red-and-black polka-dotted _**kwami**_ emerging from Marinette’s purse, and as she connected the dots she did the only thing she could do: she fainted.


	4. Day 4: Mythology! Chinese Mythos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila and Marinette work on a school project together-and the rumor mill is insane.

Considering her good luck, Marinette had not been expecting that the research project on Chinese mythology would see her paired up with Lila. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her-even at her worst she wasn’t nearly as bad as Chloe-but her secret grudge on Ladybug made rather uncomfortable spending too much time with her. That, and Marinette was sure that Lila at least suspected her secret identity, she had been looking at her when she thought she wasn’t looking far too often.

“So, what are we going to tackle?” Lila asked her. “Not really an expert on Chinese mythos, and I have no idea about you…”

“I actually know a bit about the huli jing, I grew curious after Volpina.” Marinette blurted out before realizing _who_ she was talking to. “Well-I mean-”

“You mean nothing bad, I know. You’re nice enough the Borghesotta’s still alive, I’d have already strangled her in your place. Been trying to figure that out for days, now…”

What?

* * *

 

 

The Chinese huli jing legend was the origin of the fox-related legends in East Asia, in which the foxes were represented as shape-shifting tricksters that could be good or bad omens, but were invariably to not provoke due their “different” morality, and, for good or bad, often seduced people around them. Marinette found that described Lila perfectly: while she wasn’t a shapeshifter (and hadn’t been one even as Volpina, thankfully) she was most certainly into tricking people for fun, had proven herself a good friend to Marinette just as she still hated Ladybug, had a terrifying temper, and had taken a liking at getting Marinette flustered, and not just by her tendency to invade personal space, just as she became unexpectedly close. And, much to Marinette’s surprised disappointment, had decided to help her with Adrien.

“The thing you must remember is that nurture has just as much effect as nature on a person, and that rich kids tick a little differently from working class kids.” she had said. Then, suddenly closing on Marinette’s face, she added: “Being fairly wealthy myself, I shall now teach you how to please a rich kid.”

After thoroughly enjoying Marinette’s blushing freak-out, Lila explained she meant how to get his attention.

“Now, Adrien is a bit of a special case, what with his overprotective parents keeping him locked in for years and also teaching him the value of hard work, so he craves companionship and can appreciate hand-made things.” she continued. “The second part I’m told you’ve got it down, and by the time the report is due, I’ll have you able to just _talk_ to the boy. And then, considering it’s you, you’ll have those rumors about what you and him do during akuma attacks turned into truth in no time.”

“Wait, what rumors?” Marinette asked, worried about someone coming too close to the truth.”

“That you’re already dating and using the confusion of akuma attacks to make out without things getting to Gabriel Agreste, didn’t you know?”

“WHAT?!”

“Honestly, if I didn’t know how you act around him is not an act I’d actually believe it myself, it’s the most logical explanation for your disappearances unless the two of you are Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

Uh-oh.

“You are not them, right?”

“No! Of course no! I know both Adrien and Chat, and they’re very different!”

“What about you?”

“No! I couldn’t enlist myself to help Chat, could I? And I wouldn’t ask Chat if I’m cute, am I?”

“Wait… I thought Ladybug was after Adrien?! Uuugh! This situation is getting so ridiculous I’m hallucinating laughing chipmunks!”

Tikki stopped laughing, and decided to take advantage of Lila’s distraction to call for help before the Italian girl tried to strangle Marinette.

* * *

 

 

When she got home for the day Lila was supposed to research a few things about Huxian the fox goddess and her differences with Inari, her Shinto counterpart, but she couldn’t concentrate, not with the doubts about Marinette being Ladybug. That would be really convenient, it meant Ladybug’s mannerism was just the result of having a frequently visiting Italian grandmother and thus she had no meant to all but declare war by apologizing for the dressing down in front of a different witness and thus she could throw away that apparently one-sided feud and not feel (too) guilty whenever she ogled Ladybug in that skintight suit (having a recently admitted crush on her helped), but would also mean that Adrien was most likely Chat Noir… And how could she compete with a friggin’ SUPERHERO?! It was Knightowl and Sparrow all over again, only worse because she actually KNEW Ladybug! That, and she wasn’t sure Knightowl saw his sidekick as a possible romantic partner, plus the age difference.

As she entered her room she noticed there was something that shouldn’t have been there, a small hexagonal box, probably another attempt from _them_ to buy her out. As if she was going to forgive them for what they had done to her relationship with her grandmother… Still, even if it was that she could make use of it, even if just for selling as pocket money. Then she saw a necklace, a _Gabrie_ _l_ one from the Miraculous line like the one she had bought shortly before the meeting with Ladybug-a necklace she still had and would stubbornly wear from time to time. And the sperm donor and the incubator were too smart to not know that. So, who did have access to the room and reason to give her something she already had?

And the answer came in the form of someone Lila identified as Huxian herself.

* * *

 

 

Papillon was someone willing to do almost anything to have the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses, and able to take any chance. That was why, as soon as the occasion was right, he had brought back Numéric, even if he was a bit disgusted with himself. Oh, well, he’d have Nathalie send gift baskets to Jagged Stone, Chloe Borgeois and the pigtailed girl who had joined the blonde into convincing the rockstar to file a restraining order against the stalker. Still, he could enjoy the scene, the soon-to-be-captured superheroes that had just appeared to confront his villain, Adrien and that pigtailed girl dragging away the fox liar, the pan-wait, what?!

“Turn back, I need to see a thing!” he ordered the villain.

Numéric did just that, and he did see confirmation that Adrien was not Chat Noir. Then Numéric suddenly snapped his head to the side and to the ground, and he heard from him some unexpected words.

“ _I am Vorpika! The only superhero this creep needed!”_

Then the connection was broken.

“Nathalie, gift baskets.”

“No pun this time, sir?” the assistant asked, only receiving a glare as answer.

* * *

 

 

“Here goes that theory…” Alya said to herself as she spotted Marinette and Adrien trying to drag away Lila.

From what she had heard, the Italian girl hated paparazzi and stalkers with a passion, and she wanted to enjoy Ladybug and Chat Noir beating Numéric up… And by that she had just provided evidence that Marinette and Adrien were not the superheroes (she knew Marinette’s love life too well to believe she was secretly making out with Adrien during the Akuma attacks). At least she could document Numéric’s defeat for her from up close. Then she saw an orange blur, and suddenly someone that looked very similar to Volpina punched the Akumatized villain hard enough to turn his head, before punching him in the stomach and making him double down. Then, after picking up the akumatized head camera, she raised it to the sky, put a foot on the poor villain, and shouted “I am Vorpika! The only superhero this creep needed!” before throwing the camera to Chat Noir, who broke it with his baton. Then she turned to Alya, and said: “You’re the Ladyblogger, right? I believe we should schedule an interview, if I understand it’s a tradition here in Paris for the Miraculous holders to have their first exclusive with you. Wonder when the Terror Bowtie will crawl out of his hole and schedule his…”

Alya dragged on the scheduling a bit, suspecting Vorpika to be indeed Lila and that the one she had spotted was an illusion, but while the superhero was in a hurry there was not the strange sound that came after the use of a Miraculous’ power. Then the superhero disappeared after the police dragged Aza away. Well, back to the hotel, if Chloe wanted to prove herself nice and Adrien was around to keep her that way, who was she to deny her?

* * *

 

 

Ladybug _knew_ this was Lila. She had been a bit dazed since yesterday-why she had not joined Chloe in insulting Aza when the hotel’s staff was removing him, Lila _really_ hated stalkers-and that “Vorpika” was Rome’s dialect for “fox” mixed with the Italian comic book suffix for female antiheroes and villains. And she really wanted to know how and why. So she and Chat followed her to the roof, where they saw her pull the Fox Miraculous from behind her back-the one in front had been the Gabriel necklace, apparently-and out of a small soundproof box. Then Ladybug’s eyes fell on the hands, with the gloves having MMA glove-like padding for obvious reason (Ladybug mentally noted to follow her cousin Bridgette’s suggestion and enroll the self-defense course at the Savate gym  near home. Bridgette had been insisting for so long she had been about to do it before getting the Miraculous, but with the Akuma villains not feeling pain she had not seen the point to renounce to some much-needed free time for martial arts… Except they worked if you knew what to do), and then to the tail, not a cloth belt like in the Volpina outfit, but an actual, fluffy, _enticing_ tail…

After slapping herself with both hands, Ladybug  demanded to know what her game was-only to be caught by surprise when Vorpika bowed.

“I humbly apologize for what happened on the Eiffel Tower. I was under the impression you were Italian like me, and in Italy apologizing in front of witnesses for an insult done in presence of different witnesses is a grave insult.” she explained, leading Ladybug to facepalm. “Had not a lucky accident not led to me discovering both of your identities, I would still try to start a one-sided feud.”

Wait, what?

“What did you just say?” Chat asked.

“That I know your identities.” Vorpika confirmed as her timer expired and she casually produced sunflower seeds for her kwami. “And as you’ll see on the Ladyblog, I made sure to cover them and my own thanks to a few well-placed illusions and shoving a “volunteer” in a closet. Ladybug, if you’ll have me I would like to be your friend.”

C hat would have really liked to ask what was Lila planning to do with that knowledge, but considering how hurt his lady had been by Lila’s rejection on the Eiffel Tower he knew better than to interrupt their hug, and decided to discreetly leave.  Something Lila took advantage of to steal a kiss from Ladybug- only to have it stolen back.

* * *

 

 

“You what?” Alya asked Lila and Marinette the following day at school, after being given a (heavily edited) version of the previous day’s events.

“If Captain Oblivious was, well, oblivious, it was obvious someone would move in-successfully, in my case.” Lila said.

“Did not see that one coming… I just hope Chat doesn’t end the same way.”

“MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG! LILA ROSSI!” Chloe shouted as she stomped their way. “WHY DO PEOPLE SAY YOU’RE NOW IN A THREE-WAY RELATIONSHIP WITH ADRIEN?!”

Marinette facepalmed.

“Because they’ve missed Fang and that our foursome had been going on for twenty years?” Lila replied.

“NOT FUNNY! Also run, Zoe the fangirl was crying and I’ve spotted an Akuma on my way here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Knightowl and Sparrow are two US-based superheroes that appear in the Miraculous Adventures comics alongside Majestia (Alya’s role model before she started fangirling Ladybug. She also has in-universe comic books), and are the local counterparts of Batman and Robin. No confirmed romantic relationship, but tell that to the fans... 
> 
> Part of my personal headcanon is that Lila’s parents are rather protective, and the moment they saw her maternal grandmother making certain plans for her they took jobs that brought them around the world to separate them and lied to ruin their relationship, fully knowing that if Lila ever found out she would never forgive them as-well, it’s the grandmother. Italian thing, really. It goes without saying that Lila did find out at some point.
> 
> As you know, in the PV Ladybug kicks a lot, even by toe-something most non-Savate styles don’t. And since this is France…
> 
> Kudos offered for whoever recognizes why it’s sunflower seeds.


	5. Day 5: Highschool Clique AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila and Marinette versus the cliques.

Lila had always prided herself in her ability to understand social situations and find herself a spot, an ability developed in endless school transfers around the world ever since she left Rome. That had been why, for once, she had spared her fantastic tales, both the true and the “embellished” ones, she had quickly realized they would be unnecessary and could complicate things. And as expected she had immediately found herself in the “cool” crowd simply by virtue of her good and exotic looks and her branded clothes, with her personality then helping her making friends outside it. She liked especially Marinette-her kindness, her courage, the ability to just talk Italian with someone who wasn’t her parents or their coworkers, the fact she could tell many of Lila’s most “embellished” tales without lying… Even if, for some reason, she didn’t fully trust her.

And now, she had just been told why.

“Let me get this straight, Agreste, _la Borghesotta_ ” good thing Chloe’s family name lent itself to insulting nicknames so easily, both in French and her native Italian “is using her money and her father’s job to keep the cliques almost separated, and in her hatred for Marinette she’s been persecuting her for years and running members of the so-called “cool crowd” out of the school if they get caught being too friendly?”

“Pretty much…” Adrien admitted. “I kinda get a pass due being Chloe’s childhood friend, but…”

But Lila wouldn’t get a pass. There was no need to say it.

“I see.” And she did. More than she let on. She saw the reason why Marinette and Adrien weren’t dating even with how well they got along and the obvious attraction-aside for the side-effects of Adrien’s parents being overprotective, she meant. And, as she just realized, she may feel more than friendship for the pigtailed girl, with her feeling the same. Maybe that was what Alya had been alluding to.

And so she went to search for Marinette, and, upon finding her in another stand-off with Chloe, she just walked up to her and invited her to the movies next Saturday.

“Uh… Sure…” Marinette said in surprise. Then she asked: “What about Chloe?”

“She’s not my mother, _che s’inculi_.” because as much as she usually defied the stereotype about Romans being vulgar, a little curse could add emphasis-especially if it was something the target did not understand.

“Hey! Don’t you dare to ignore me!” Chloe demanded. “And you, Lila-HEY! DON’T LEAVE WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU!”

Lila ignored her as she led away Marinette. There would be consequences, of course, but they didn’t frighten her a bit. Not when she was with Marinette.


	6. Day 6: Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being soulmates can make things complicated...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Delving a bit in my headcanon about Lila and her family here. Also, trying an experiment with this, tell me if it works.

Not the first day of school I expected. I expected a clean cut, and instead, not only I found myself in the same class as that annoying girl I met when Alì was in town and we went to that hospital together, the sweet one I met in the same occasion is in the same class and screamed “Prince Ali’s girlfriend?!” as soon as I entered. And from that not only I was once again the one who knows VIPs and the annoying girl took my sarcastic claim on Jagged Stone at face value, but for some reason I just gave an interview while I described that little fantasy about Ladybug and me as fact. At least there’s someone who doesn’t seem to care who I know and who looks nice.

Suddenly the class’ door opens, and in barges a girl, just in time for the lessons. Wow… She’s cute. Even as she’s apologizing to the teacher. So adora-why am I thinking this? I’ve got no truck! I wonder how that would sound in English…

“Who’s that?” I ask the tomato-haired one I’m sitting next.

“Uh? That’s Marinette.” he tells me-and by the tone, I’d swear he has a crush on her. “She’s our class representative, a budding fashion designer that already won a contest for _Gabriel_ ” And considering how picky Gabriel Agreste is even on the smallest things, that’s quite the achievement “and a friend of Jagged Stone who made his Eiffel Tower glasses and the cover of his latest album.”

“You made the last one up.”

He didn’t. And he’s carrying evidence. Interesting… Or not. Got a goal, a safe friend to make until you leave again, and I need no distractions.

* * *

 

 

This is so confusing… First this new girl gives an interview painting herself as Ladybug’s best friend, _my_ best friend, now she’s all over Adrien, and somehow I’d like she was all over _me_! I suppose she’s good looking, but so are Alya, Chloe (ugh!), Juleka, Nino, Nathaniel, Kim, lots of people I know! Calm down, Marinette… Remember, she’s a liar. A goddamn’ liar. Just a liar.

* * *

 

 

Who’s so _stupid_ to bring such an old and precious book out of home?! Or maybe it’s naivety, from what I’ve heard his parents were extremely overprotective. Funny that the one that may well be Papillon may be the most relaxed one… Or maybe he’s trying to throw off suspicions. Still, Adrien Agreste had with him a book with Chinese-style illustrations of Miraculous Holders, including Nǚwáng Húlí, the Donna Volpe, the hero (and, according to family lore, relative) that so many years ago had made fashionable in Rome the hairstyle I’m wearing and writings that were not in Chinese ideograms in what looked like nyctographic cypher (except the words don’t make sense), and upon realizing it was linked to the Miraculouses I stole it from him, took pictures of all the pages to give them to the superheroes as soon as she tracked them down (wouldn’t be too hard if the rumors about the mayor’s daughter were true, and she had actually seen evicence), and prepared to give it back-in a suitably scary fashion, for even if his father _is_ the Terror Papillon (note to self, make that memetic) he does not deserve whatever punishment the infamous Gabriel Agreste would cook up. Only a scare at most. So, it’s in the thrash, I’m on a bench in the park with a _Gabriel_ necklace that looks like the Fox Miraculous, and feeding him a bullshit story about being a superhero. Now I’ll ask him about the book and-is that Ladybug? How lucky. Wait, what’s with look? _Occazzo,_ the interview…

* * *

 

 

“What was that all about?!” Adrien calls me out as Lila’s leaving in tears. “I-I mean… You were kind of harsh with her?”

“I don’t like lies, especially about me.” I say defensively. But I’m not even looking at him, only at Lila’s retreating form. “But maybe I got too harsh…”

But I can’t find her. Where did she go? Maybe Papillon got her… Please, don’t… Is that a meteor?!

* * *

 

 

 _Grandissimo pezzo di stronzo, prima o poi ti scovo, ti stacco un braccio e ti ci pesto ammorte…_ I’ve never felt more violated. That akuma was so… So… And the worst part is that I remember _everything_! They say you don’t remember, but somehow I do, and that was all me! Mine the rage, mine the insults, mine the tricks, I was fully in control, only it was me at my worst! I need a shower or two… Hundreds.

“Lila?”

Ladybug’s calling?!

“I totally overreacted. I should have never spoken to you like that. I’m sorry.”

Oh… Good. Wait, where’s Adrien? There’s only Chat Noir… _Che stronza!_

* * *

 

 

“ _Forget it, Ladybug. You were right. We will never be friends.”_

The words still echo in my head. And that look… So cold, yet full of tears. What did I do? What do I do now?! Only thing I could was to explain the akumatization as me getting angry over her blowing our secret and making herself a target, and she’ll obviously think I’m covering for Alya! Why wouldn’t she? First time she meets Ladybug and I’m yelling at her, somehow she got me angrier than Chloe ever managed. The only times I’ve ever been more furious were when Chat and Adrien were in danger due Papillon and when that _casse bite_ tried to blame _Chat and me_ for his crimes…

Come on, Marinette. You’ve got a book to give…

* * *

 

 

No need to thank _Insettina_. She covered for her favorite journalist. And probably got the book herself, wasn’t there when I checked as Volpina… And then she made a mess, of course. Gabriel Agreste pulled the son out of school. And Marinette’s so devastated… Yep, crush for the oblivious fool. Can’t stand this… I’ll have to help Ladybug.

* * *

 

 

I’ve just told Chat about Gabriel Agreste likely being Papillon, and he’s shocked. Even more than myself. Yet, I can’t find another explanation, not when Master Fu says when the book and the Butterfly Miraculous disappeared.

“Seems someone made a mess out of things.”

I turn, and I find a smug-looking Lila holding a flash drive.

“We both know where you found the book, but have you wondered why did I take it, or hid it there?”

Not when I found it, was too angry. But they’re good questions.

“Long story short, I recognized _Donna_ Nǚwáng Húlí, she’s too famous in Rome-that, and some in my family and out of it claim she’s my late great-grandmother. Maybe it’s true, there’s actual proof of more ridiculous ancestry claims.”

“Is that why Alya didn’t verify the sources before publishing your interview?” Chat asks.

“Most likely. Anyway, given it was an old and expensive book I decided to give Agreste a scare by fishing it out of the thrash, but knowing it had coded information on the Miraculouses, those writings looked like nonsense words in a cypher I know, I took pictures of everything. No reason to alarm a possible supervillain, right, _Insettina mia_?”

Did she just call me “my little bug”? Almost heartwarming… Bad, Marinette, bad! And she meant it sarcastic!

“So! Here’s the data, and if Agreste turns out not being the Terror Bowtie-”

Terror Bowtie?! Wait, in Italian “bowtie” is-

When I stop laughing, Chat tells me he has the flash drive and if mr. Agreste is not Papillon she’ll give it back personally. She can’t bear seeing her classmate Marinette cry, she said. Someone’s going to get a basket of sweets. And I need an excuse, can’t tell why I’m doing it…

* * *

 

 

Well, this was unexpected. Adrien Agreste getting a welcome back box of macarons from Marinette, I expected. Me getting my own personal box, and an apology that she couldn’t find a recipe from Rome or Lazio. It feels _good_. I’ve never felt that way, not since grandmother died.

“OK, what’s happening?”

And here she comes, the mayor’s daughter. New designation: Borghesotta.

“What do you mean?” Marinette asks with a voice that conveys just mild annoyance.

“This. The box. You never do give welcome gifts.”

Marinette just points at Adrien’s box, making Borghesotta look like the idiot she is but failing to deter her.

“Well, yes, but she’s a friend. Somehow.” she says-and then turns to me: “You, new girl, what did you do to her?”

Trying to get at Marinette by proxy by provoking a fight with me. Hinting about forbidden relationships-and having no idea who she’s dealing with.

“Jealous?” I tell her after getting disturbingly close-more for me than for her.

“WHAT! No! No, why would I be after her! I have Adrikins! I-”

“Look, it’s right. Nobody’s judging you. Well, some may, but this is France, as much as I hate admitting it you’re more enlightened than Italy about this.”

A shout of outrage later, she’s stomping out and I’m bowing to the class as they cheer on me. For once, the attention is not for someone I know but for something I _did_ -and it’s awesome. And maybe Borghesotta has a point about Marinette and me…

* * *

 

 

In the last two weeks, Lila has been nice and gentle-enough I’m actually starting to feel attracted to her. I blush at her flirting-something Chat never managed to do. Her presence makes me happy, even if she can’t stand me as Ladybug. And I can actually _talk_ with her-I only managed to do so with Adrien in the last few days, and that’s because she’s helping me. Even if she doesn’t actually like doing that, she says I deserve better, someone on Chat Noir’s level. And now I’ve actually started dreaming of her, third night in a row. And when I ask Master Fu for advice, he suggests I sit before he answers.

“It appears you are soul mates.” After I survive choking on my own spit, he explains: “That’s an approximate term. Basically, in one of your past lives you grew so close that in every new reincarnation your souls instinctively search for each other and provide a push for you to get close, and this time your bond was romantic in nature.”

“This time?” I ask.

“This time. Maybe the past times it was platonic, maybe it was romantic-maybe you were even mother and daughter.” After I fail to break all glass in the place with my scream, he apologizes for the joke and adds there’s also a danger: “Sometimes, in the wrong circumstances, this push can have dangerous effects.”

“Lila’s hatred for Ladybug?”

“I fear so.”

* * *

 

 

I don’t wake up screaming, I’ve been raised better than that. But I’m still startled. Startled and angry. I was having such a good dream, me and Marinette in a field, just cuddling, then I kiss her and she’s suddenly Ladybug. Fourth night in a row. How is she invading my dreams now?! She’s going to pay. I’ll make her pay, and-

“ _Hello again, Volpina.”_

Not again. Well, let’s put this little man in his place.

“This is not English where there’s only a way to say “you”, talk to a stranger the decent way. Also, it’s Lila Maria Vulpecula Rossi Rinaldi Colonna di Sciarra for you, little man, and you will show me the appropriate respect or the world why Boniface VIII preferred getting ill to death to the idea of my namesake getting his hands on him again.”

And he can’t speak from the shock. Pussy.

“Now, what do you want?” I ask.

“ _I was thinking about offering you the powers of Volpina yet again… But I already had an Akumatized envoy with a grudge against me, two including the robot. Sorry for bothering you at this hour.”_

Wait… The Akuma’s out… He’s RETREATING?! Coward. Or maybe not, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to get a minion with a grudge against me, and someone who managed to rile me up the first time needs to be at least in my league. Still, he got me a couple things. Now I know why the Akuma didn’t have full effect the first time: in magic names have powers, everybody knows this, and Volpina translates in Latin as Vulpecula, he accidentally called my alter ego by my own name rather than naming her himself, spell didn’t fully take. And second… An idea. Thank you, Terror Bowtie, when I find you I’ll make it quick.

* * *

 

 

Patrol ended, and I’m again in front of the Italian embassy, where Lila lives. I must find a way for Ladybug to make amends with her, before it’s too late. And how I insulted her, I’m sure she took offense at something… What, I have no idea.

Augh!

I’m on the ground and glad I don’t feel pain as Ladybug, because someone just hit my head with a metal pipe. Had I not been transformed I’d be dead…

I turn, and catch the pipe as they’re trying to hit me again. And then, as I stand and take it, I see the aggressor.

“Lila?!”

“Why so surprised?” she asks coldly. “Four nights in a row you ruin my dreams by turning in my crush right as I kiss her, four nights you assault my sleep, and you weren’t expecting retaliati0n?”

“Your-your crush?” I ask, feeling hurt and jealousy. Who’s she talking about?

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, obviously.” she says as she tries to pepper-spray me. Good thing she’s wearing those padded gloves, they may allow her to punch harder but also make her clumsy, and painless or not getting pepper spray in the eyes is not a good experience.

I take the spray and use my augmented strength and speed to get behind her and put her in a hold. She hits my nose with the back of her head, but she only hurts herself.

“Why do you hate me?!” I ask.

“You know that perfectly.” she replies, and it takes me a moment to realize she spoke in Italian.

“Humor me, will you?”

“You insult me in front of witnesses and then apologize in front of different witnesses who only have your word on what happened before… Could have taken that from a French girl, but a fellow Italian… People have killed for less in the past.”

I release her, and she turns and pulls out another spray. And I do something crazy.

* * *

 

 

Got the spray, I’ll get first her and then the pipe. You die tonight, Ladybug.

“Tikki, detransform me.” she says. Who’s Tikki?

Is she releasing her transformation?! What the hell?! What the-oh. Oh. I think I dropped the spray in shock…

“Marinette?” I say. I whisper in shock. “But-how? What-Was it-”

“I’ve always been sincere with you, Lila. Always.”

My mind doesn’t know if I can believe her, even if the heart says yes. But… Wait, did I just tell her what dreams I’m having?

I feel I’m taking a step back in shock and fear. I feel her hand grabbing my wrist. I open my mouth to say something, maybe express my shock. I feel her lips on mine. I-I think I’m in love…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nǚwáng Húlí means “Queen Fox”, and is the name I’ve assigned to the mysterious Chinese Fox Miraculous Holder that looks just like Lila.  
> Donna Volpe means literally “Fox Woman”, but “donna” also doubles as honorific of Spanish derivation reserved for important noblewomen.  
> Yep: as far I’m concerned it’s not a coincidence that Lila just happens to look like that Miraculous Holder: she was active in Rome at some point during the monarchy (hence why she was nicknamed Donna Volpe: there was already a queen for Italy, thank you very much) and had a big enough impact women in Rome still imitate her hairstyle. On Lila actually being related… Who knows. Noble families make some strange claims, and some actually have genuine proof.  
> “Casse bite” was me getting creative and translating a rather vulgar Italian insult in French. Tomas and Gina Dupain should watch their mouth better when Marinette’s around…  
> The Colonna family is one of the biggest names of Roman aristocracy, claiming descendance from Julius Caesar’s family and another noble Roman gens and having actual genuine evidence of the latter. Back in the middle ages they were powerful enough that when they ended in conflict with Pope Boniface VIII their countermove was to lead an army of their own vassals and Frenchmen to conquer his hometown of Anagni while he was there, keep him prisoner in his own home because the French wanted him brought to Paris in chains and the Colonnas wanted to kill him on the spot, and even if the invaders were driven out by the locals they still ruined his health enough he died less than a month later. The Colonna di Sciarra are the branch descending from Sciarra Colonna, the one who actually carried out the “Slap of Anagni”. Just found that Lila being related to that family would explain a lot in my personal headcanon…  
> On Lila’s full name according to this: Lila is a relatively uncommon feminine name in Italy and can have multiple origins, with the Indian one meaning “beauty”; Maria is the Italian version of Mary, and is extremely common even in men’s names (Mary is serious business here); Vulpecula is the name of a constellation and translates in English as “Little Fox”, or, in Italian, as “Volpina”, and would be there due the claim above; the collection of last names come from two men with different last names marrying into, and being adopted, by the Colonna di Sciarra branch of the Colonna family, the most recent one having been originally named Rossi (the most common last name in Italy).


	7. Day 7: Love (freestyle)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette meets Lila's mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a hard time choosing which idea using here… But here it is. Also serves as an ideal epilogue to every other snip I wrote for this edition of Lilanette Week.

“Excuse me?!”

Marinette was at the Italian embassy to officially meet her girlfriend’s mother. Not Lila’s idea, she was scared at the thought of her mother meeting Marinette in private, but the woman had insisted, and Lila and Marinette both knew it was better not contradict her on that. So, there she was, meeting with the unsettling woman that looked very similar to her daughter, even if she wore her much shorter hair in a bun and was apparently making a point of being completely still… And the moment Lila had to leave them alone her mother had flat-out offered money to break-up with her.

“That’s the whole reason, isn’t it? Agreste was too naive to even notice your advances, so you went after my daughter.” she had continued.

“That’s not like it!” Marinette replied, suddenly standing and slamming her hands on the table.

Lila’s mother tilted her head to the side, apparently surprised, then stated her disbelief: “Can’t believe you actually love her… You are most obviously not good for her, yet you love her. More than your family?”

“What?”

“I am a diplomat important enough to affect unimportant people’s passports-and I hear your grandmother likes to travel. What could happen to her if her passport was suddenly revoked or flagged as a fake while she’s outside the Union, I wonder? Some trouble…”

That had caught Marinette by surprise. The woman had casually passed from offering money to threaten her family to have her break up with Lila… And she couldn’t take it. But she had no solution, even as she thought about it. Maybe Lila would have some idea, or Master Fu-

“You pass.” Lila’s mother suddenly said, finally moving and becoming less unsettling. “I apologize for the threats, but I had to see if I had read you correctly.  
“I know my daughter, far better than she thinks, and the sheer effort she must have consciously or unconsciously taken for you to be her girlfriend, what with her temper, that I fear she inherited from myself and she reigns in by clinging to old codes of honors beyond what most people would do, more than a few emotive scars, having been raised in an environment not exactly tolerant of same-sex relationships, HAVING ABSOLUTELY NO TRUST IN HER MOTHER” Lila took her clue to dramatically enter the room “and not intervening so far only because she was trying to understand why I was doing something so brazen… And I needed to know what you were made of. And I saw in your eyes that when I threatened your family you weren’t thinking about giving up one of them but on how to deal with the threat. I suppose you can stand at her side.”

“But-but-but-”

“That’s completely insane, mother.” Lila flatly stated.

“Lila, dear, our last name is Rossi Rinaldi _Colonna di Sciarra_. Our namesake is a man that, over a contention where our family was objectively in the wrong, decided to kill the reigning Pope and did so by conquering his hometown while he was there and barging in his home, and even if stopped by his French accomplices he still did on him such a number he died less than a month later-I have a tradition to uphold.”

Lila decided to just drag Marinette away before her mother broke her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far I’m concerned, Lila’s mother is a more emotional Gabriel: extremely overprotective and ready to do some questionable things for her only child. And that’s quite the problem when said person is an experienced diplomat, descends from a family that did the above, and has a questionable sense of humor. If nothing else, the fact her mother’s a very functional madwoman explains Lila perfectly. One of these days I’ll have to come up with a man that can love a woman like that to be Lila’s father…

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Fox Rain](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792883) by [lordMartiya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordMartiya/pseuds/lordMartiya)




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